Conduit molding



Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a novel form of molding for building purposes, having a hollow or enclosed interior for the reception of electrical conductors or the like. The molding embody- 5 ing the principle of the invention may be used as a top molding for a base, picture molding, a chair rail, trim molding or as paneling molding.

More precisely outlined, the invention comprises a body portion and a cover member or face piece adapted to fit the body portion. Both of these elements form the basis of the molding structure. One object of the invention is to provide a novel form of friction interlock between the cover and body portion whereby these two elements are adequately secured together, but still may be removed on occasions when it is necessary to seek access to the interior of the molding. Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosed space in the interior of the body portion for the reception of high tension electric wires, and a second or auxiliary channel or raceway for the reception of low tension electric wires.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for inserting and locating an outlet receptacle in the body and extending through the face of the molding. More explicitly, this latter means comprises the provision of very small grooves in the inner face of the cover member resulting in a relatively thin cross-section of the 30 latter whereby cuts made across the grooves will readily enable a portion to be broken out of the face of the cover member during field installation; and such means also includes a relatively small fin on the body portion of the molding adjacent the opening therein whereby a portion of the fin may be removed in order to definitely locate the outlet receptacle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a channel in the outer face of the body por- 40 tion for the reception of the upper edge of a platelike base panel. Another object of the invention comprises the provision of bonding pieces held in place by lip on the inner side of the body por tion whereby a continuous electric and mechanical connection is provided between sections of the molding, thereby producing a completely grounded system.

Another object of the invention is to be found in providing-a clearance between the upper edge of the cover member and the support to which the molding is attached, whereby irregularities in the plaster surface will not affect the location of the cover and also whereby the attachment and removal of the cover will not operate to scrape against the supporting wall.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various structural forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. l is a sectioned elevational View showing the molding attached to a supporting wall and assembled in conjunction with a base panel plate; Fig. 2 is a sectioned elevation of the molding showing an outlet receptacle positioned therein, and the molding assembled on the supporting wall with a wooden base panel; Fig. 3 is a front view taken upon a plane normal to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of Fig. 3 and taken substantially along line 4-4 thereof; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a mitered right angle joint between two molding sections and illustrating the assembly of the bonding piece therewith; Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of the cover; Fig. 7 is a view taken from the right hand side of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along line 88 of Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view at a mitered corner showing assembly of the bonding piece therewith; Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the molding when installed upon a supporting wall as a picture molding and with a picture hook in position thereon.

Now referring more particularly to the drawing, the molding consists of a body portion having a rear face I which is secured to a supporting wall 2 by means of suitable fasteners 3 (only one of which is shown) located at intervals throughout the length of the molding. A bottom wall 4 and a top wall 5 extend normally from the rear wall I. A front wall 6 of the body portion is disclosed in a plane parallel to the rear wall I. Between the top wall 5 and the front wall 6 is an opening in the body portion for access to the interior, such opening being continuous and extending the length of the molding.

A downwardly depending flange l spaced from the front wall 6 provides a channel for the reception of the upper edge of the base panel plate 8. The lower portion of the base panel plate 8 is secured by means of a fastening screw 9, together with a flat mop strip ii] to the ground i I.

Where a wooden base I2 is used, as in Fig. 2, the molding is merely located on top of the base. It should also be noted in connection with Fig. 1 that the molding is adaptable to any height of base plate 8, it merely being necessary to raise or lower the molding for different heights of base plates.

The cover member l5 has a downwardly depending flange IS with an inclined face l1, both the flange and inclined face being received in a complementary groove or channel in the outer face of the front wall 6. The flange l8 and inclined face El make a relatively close fit in the complementary groove, whereby they are secured against lateral displacement therefrom due to frictional resistance. The inclined face I I aids in guiding the flange IE into its close-fitting groove. A second downwardly depending flange l8 in the upper portion of the cover member 15 overlaps and locks over an upstanding flange IS on the top wall 5 of the body portion. In this manner both the flanges l6 and I8 prevent the cover member from displacement in a horizontal direction. The frictional binding effect of the flange 16 and inclined face i! in the groove in the face of the front wall 6 prevent the cover l5 from displacement in a vertical direction.

A curved flange 25, which is in effect a continuation of the cover member, extends upwardly and rearwardly of the molding in order to define a space or raceway for the reception of low tension electric wires 2!. High tension electric Wires 22 are disposed in the interior of the body portion which constitutes an enclosed conduit when the cover member 55 is in attached position thereon. A piece of insulating fibre 23 or the like which is of right angle cross section may be fitted against the inner faces of the rear wall I and the top wall 5 of the body portion and serves as a satisfactory insulating member between the high tension wires 22 and the top and rear walls of the conduit.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the opening in the body portion defined by the edges of the front wall 6 and top wall 5 thereof is of slightly less width than that of an outlet receptacle 25. A relatively small, fine fin 26 is located on the upper edge of the front Wall 6 and extends into the opening. When the outlet receptacle 25 is installed in the molding, and particularly in field installations, it is merely necessary to remove aportion of the fin 25 by filing, for example, a distance sufhcient to permit the inserting of the receptacle 25. In this manner, the resultant ends of the fin 26 as indicated at a and 12, contact with the sides of the receptacle 25 and hold the latter in fixed position so that it will not move laterally one way or the other when the cover is off and additional connections are being made to the wires.

The cutting of an opening in the cover member l5 for the reception of the receptacle 25 is made convenient by the provision of the relatively shallow and narrow grooves 21 and 28 (best shown in Fig. 6) on the inner face of the cover !5 and located 'on the same horizontal planes as the edges of the opening in the body portion. Thus to make an opening in the cover 5 for the reception of the receptacle 25, it is merely necessary to make saw cuts 29 and 3E and 23' and 35' (see Fig. '7) across the face of the cover to the grooves 27 and 28 respectively breaking off the portion 3! on lines of said grooves. It will be noted that the cuts 25 and leading from the lower edge of the cover !5 to the groove 2?, are spaced a distance beyond the cuts 29 and 30. This is for the purpose of permitting the lower portion of the cover l5 and flange 55 to clear the sides of the receptacle 25. The cuts 25 and 35 extending to the groove 28 are not so widely spaced apart as the cuts 29 and 30' since the edges of the face of the cover :5 which they define are adapted to fit in to the shoulders 32 and 33 (as shown in Fig. 4) in the front face of the receptacle 25. In this manner the edges defined by the cuts 29 and 3D in the front face of the cover l5 also serve as means for preventing the forward or outward displacement of the receptacle 25.

The joints of the molding, that is, the contiguous ends of sections of the molding, are bonded by means of a flat bonding strip 35 which has a width substantially equal to that of the inner face of the wall 6. The bonding strip 35 is snapped in and held in position by means of the overhanging lip 36 on the inner face of the upper edge of the front wall 6. In this manner, contiguous sections of the molding are electrically and mechanically bonded, and a completely grounded system thereby results. Furthermore, the bonding strips 35 serve as shields for covering the meeting edges of the ends of the molding in order to protect the wires 22 from being scraped or damaged by the possible protrusion of a sharp edge in the interior of the molding. It should also be understood that the bonding strip will assume alternative forms dependent upon the form of joint between the molding sections. For example, instead of being in the form of a right angular piece as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, the bonding strip may be merely a straight piece when located between two molding sections whose ends abut in a straight line.

It should also be noted that the curved flange 20 in the upper portion of the cover l5 does not completely extend to the plane of the face of the rear wall I, but stops just short thereof in order to provide a clearance space 31. In this manner irregularities and projections of the plaster will be compensated for and will not contact with the edge of the cover member.

Furthermore, the presence of the clearance space 3'! permits the cover member 15 to be attached and removed from the body portion without danger of scraping or injuring the plaster or supporting wall surface.

When the molding is installed as a picture molding, as shown in Fig. 10, it is located in reverse position, with the cover member i5 downwardly, and the wall 4 in uppermost position. The flange 7 then extends upwardly and provides a channel for the reception of a picture hook 38.

A conduit molding embodying the above described structure can most readily and economically be fabricated by an extrusion process, since it is of uniform shape and contour throughout its length, except for portions removed or openings made therein during field installations. The material of which the molding is composed is preferably a non-ferrous metal. However, it is to be understood that I do not thereby limit the scope of my invention to any particular material.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A molding comprising a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, said opening being of a width less than the width of an outlet receptacle or the like to be inserted therein in an amount equal to the height of a relatively thin flange on one of said terminal edges, said thin flange being adapted to be removed by cutting or filing for a distance equal to the length of said receptacle whereby the resultant spaced ends of said flange retain said receptacle in longitudinal location with respect to said body portion when the former is inserted in said opening.

2. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, a cover member for said body portion, and relatively shallow grooves extending longitudinally on said cover member and for the entire length thereof, whereby a portion of said cover member may be broken oil on a straight line at said grooves when spaced transverse cuts are made terminating at said grooves.

3. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, a cover member for said body portion, said cover member having relatively thinner cross sectional areas extending longitudinally and for the entire length thereof whereby a portion of said cover member is capable of being broken off along said thinner areas and along cuts made in a direction intersecting said areas.

4. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which define a continuous longitudinal opening therein, an outlet receptacle or the like adapted to be in sorted in said opening, shoulders positioned on the ends of the outer face of said receptacle, a cover member for said body portion, and relatively shallow grooves extending longitudinally on said cover member and in the same horizontal plane as said terminal edges, whereby spaced transverse cuts terminating at said grooves, re spectively, define a portion of said cover member capable of being broken ofi, the edges presented by said cover member after the removal of said broken off portion being adapted to fit against the sides of said receptacle and to fit in said shoulders, and to thereby retain said receptacle in position within said molding.

5. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, a cover member for said body portion, relatively shallow grooves extending longitudinally on the inner side of said cover member and for the entire length thereof, whereby a portion of said cover member may be broken off on a straight line at said grooves when spaced transverse cuts are made terminating at said grooves, said grooves extending on lines in the same horizontal planes as the edges of said opening, when said cover member is in attached position to said body portion.

6. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, a cover member for said body portion, said body portion and said cover member being composed of relatively non-flexible extruded material, a bevelled projecting edge on said cover member, and a complementary clcse-fitting groove in said body portion adapted to engage with and to irictionally retain said edge and said cover in position on said body portion.

7. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, a cover member for said body portion, said body portion and said cover member being composed of relatively non-flexible extruded material, a bevelled projecting edge on said cover member, a complementary close-fitting groove in said body por tion adapted to engage with and to frictionally retain said edge and said cover in position on said body portion, and outstanding flanges on said body portion and said cover member adapted to make overlapping engagement with each other.

8. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, said body portion having a continuous longitudinal opening therein, a cover member for said body portion, and oppositely disposed grooves in the front face of said body portion, one of said grooves being for the reception of the edge of a base panel, and the other of said grooves being for the reception of the edge of said cover member.

9. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, said body portion having a continuous longitudinal opening therein, a cover member for said body portion, and flanges spaced from the front face of said body portion and defining spaces therebetween for the reception of the edge of a base panel and for the reception of the edge of said cover member.

10. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, having front, rear and side walls, the rear Wall being adapted to be mounted on a supporting surface, said body portion having a continuous longitudinal opening therein, a cover member for said body portion, said body portion and said cover member defining an enclosed conduit for the retention of high tension electric wires, and a portion of said cover member extending outwardly from said body portion and toward the back thereof, said cover member portion together with the side wall of said body portion and said supporting surface defining a channel for the reception of low tension electric wires, the end of said cover member portion being slightly spaced from the plane of the rear face of said body portion and from said supporting surface.

11. A molding comprising the combination of a body portion, the terminal edges of which form a continuous longitudinal opening, a cover member for said body portion, said body portion and said cover member being composed of relatively non-flexible material, a bevelled projecting edge on said cover member, a complementary closefitting groove in said body portion adapted to engage with and to frictionally retain said edge and said cover in position on said body portion, said opening being of a width less than the width of an outlet receptacle or the like adapted to be inserted therein in an amount equal to the height of a relatively thin flange positioned on one of said terminal edge said thin flange being adapted to be removed by cutting or filing a distance equal to the length of said receptacle, whereby the spaced ends of said thin flange retain said receptacle in longitudinal position with respect to said body portion when said cover member is removed.

ARMEN H. TASHJIAN. 

